On Schopenhauer's Ethics Of Compassion

In order to find out the ground of ethics,Schopenhauer begins his research of ethics from two different aspects.At the empirical level,Schopenhauer examines human actions and compares the two opposite motives from human nature.At the metaphysical level,Schopenhauer looks into the principle of individuation,uncovering the unique and identical essence behind the appearance.The conception of compassion plays therefor an important role in Schopenhauer's philosophical system.Schopenhauer makes a critical investigation to Kant's ethics,examining Kantian ethics' purpose,its basis and also its method.Schopenhauer points out that Kant's ethics sets pure moral law as its grounding and it is prior to all experience.Kant's moral principles are issued to all the rational beings.The basic principle of his moral ethics is his categorical imperative.Kant holds the opinion that practical reason is one of general human capacity,so everyone has the ability to conduct rational behavior and people are under obligation to conform according to the categorical imperative.Consequently,Kant attempts to ensure the conduction of moral actions under the authority of the abstract practical reason and the categorical imperative.On the contrary,Schopenhauer gives the priority to human beings' practical moral actions and turns to examine the grounding of ethics from the reality of our life.Based on the critique of Kantian ethics,Schopenhauer makes comparative study to reveal the core value of compassion in ethics.He investigates the difference between egoistic actions and non-egoistic actions,and compares the anti-moral incentives and the genuine moral motive in detail.Furthermore,Schopenhauer demonstrates the origin of compassion and its rationality from the metaphysical perspective.He claims that the phenomenon of compassion comes from a metaphysical basis imbed in human nature,and the firm ground of experience enables us to perceive moral actions in the phenomenal world.The real metaphysical basis of ethics is the unique and identical essence which presents in everything that lives.Schopenhauer's ethics of compassion deeply explores the ethical implications of human activities,breaking the rules of traditional thinking and taking human nature and emotion into account.Thus Schopenhauer makes a pioneering contribution to modern non-rationalism.The study of Schopenhauer's ethics of compassion helps us to get a comprehensive understanding of human activities.Schopenhauer's ideas about the essence and phenomenon,the rationality and sensibility,and also the education and the law have a profound significant for building a harmonious society.